The nonprofit digital marketing checklist

In today’s fundraising landscape, digital marketing is more than a helpful tool—it’s a vital part of how nonprofit organizations connect with supporters, share their stories, and drive meaningful action. Whether it’s through email, social media, or search engine visibility, an effective digital marketing plan can elevate every stage of the donor journey.

From acquiring new audiences to deepening commitment among your most loyal advocates, digital channels offer powerful ways to build relationships that last. This blog explores essential tactics and best practices to help your organization make the most of its digital marketing efforts.

Where to start

Before setting an annual fundraising strategy, nonprofits need to audit current marketing tactics. Reviewing past efforts can reveal what works, highlight areas for improvement, and surface any blind spots.

It’s also a smart moment to assess the return on investment (ROI) of your marketing tools. Are there areas where you could scale back or reinvest your budget for greater impact? As you read through this checklist of tactics and tips, consider what your team needs and what it can act on.

This is only a starting point. Use it to make sure you cover key best practices and identify new ways to acquire, steward, retain, and deepen supporter commitment through digital marketing.

Email

Acquisition

Acquisition is about gaining new supporters. Email marketing is a powerful tool for this because it lets you stay in touch with people who have already opted in to learning more about your cause. This direct line of communication helps keep them engaged, encouraging their support. Here’s how to jump-start your efforts.

Is it easy to subscribe to your email list?

Do visitors have the option to subscribe or opt in via your nonprofit website, donation page, and blog posts?
When subscribing, can users indicate their interests (such as specific programs, events, or volunteer opportunities)?

Do you have any partnerships that can provide emails of people who show interest in your nonprofit?

For instance, can you send an email to thank employees who participated in a corporate peer-to-peer campaign raising funds on your behalf?

Do you ask people to sign up for your newsletters after they take any of the following actions?

Make a donation
Sign up for an event
Create a personal online fundraising page

Do you immediately send a confirmation and thank them for signing up to receive your emails?

Stewardship and retention

Stewardship and retention are about building strong relationships with your supporters so they stay connected and keep giving. Email helps you do this by providing regular updates, saying thank you, and showing the impact of their support over time. Here are the key things to remember.

Do you have a welcome email series for new donors?
Do you have a distinct welcome email series for different segments of supporters?

First-time donors
Event attendees
Third-party donors acquired from peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns
Recurring donors
Donors acquired on Giving Tuesday
Volunteers
Peer-to-peer fundraisers

Do you send a newsletter regularly?

Larger organizations with more resources can send weekly emails featuring upcoming events, media mentions, interviews, or beneficiary stories.
Midsize organizations can send an email biweekly or monthly with updates on events, volunteer opportunities, and supporter spotlights.

Do you use email to showcase key content that tells your brand story?

No matter the size of your organization, email is a great channel for sharing key assets, such as brand videos, impact stories, and photos from the field.
By leveraging these storytelling elements in your email strategy, you can maximize the ROI of the effort that goes into creating these assets.

Do you have a robust annual email strategy with stewardship touchpoints related to:

Cause awareness days and holidays
Personalized dates, such as the supporter’s first donation anniversary
High-level progress toward organizational milestones
Celebratory emails sharing campaign progress or programmatic impact
Personal emails to donors who make gifts over a certain amount, following up months later to show the tangible impact of the campaign

Increasing commitment and engagement

Increasing commitment and engagement means giving your supporters more ways to stay involved with your cause. Email lets you invite people to take the next step, share feedback, or connect others to your mission. Here are some steps to follow.

Do you offer existing donors the opportunity to increase their commitment to your cause?

Ask one-time donors to make a recurring gift
Ask recurring donors to increase their gift size
Ask donors to volunteer

Have you presented volunteers with follow-up engagement ideas?

Ask volunteers to become peer-to-peer fundraisers
Ask volunteers to donate to a campaign
Ask volunteers to make a recurring gift

Have you suggested ways for supporters to amplify your cause to their networks?

Social media via GoFundMe Pro’s Meta integration
Livestreaming on GoFundMe
GoFundMe Profiles

Does your organization have committees or boards that supporters can join, such as an advisory board, a committee that hosts annual events, or a young professionals group?

Depending on the supporter’s level of engagement with your organization, you can share these opportunities via email and invite them to learn more and consider making a stronger commitment to your cause.
Dedicated supporters who could make potential candidates: long-term volunteers, recurring donors, and high net-worth donors.

Do you send an annual survey?

Consider whether you have the bandwidth to read and implement responses to survey feedback. Then, consider the approaches below.
Ask for feedback on topics, frequency, and messaging of newsletter content: Is there anything you’d like to see more or less of? Do you prefer to watch videos or read stories? And so on.
Ask for feedback following events.
Open surveys for general feedback.

Do you follow up with survey respondents once you implement their feedback?

Send a heartfelt thank-you for their participation and share how you implemented their ideas into your organization.

Social media platforms

Acquisition

Acquisition on social media is about helping new people discover your nonprofit. Regular, thoughtful posts and interactions can grow your target audience and turn casual followers into active supporters. Here are some steps to do so.

Do you post quality content regularly to keep your nonprofit top of mind?

Post to Facebook 3-10 times per week
Post to X (formerlyTwitter) 1-3 times per day
Post to LinkedIn 2-5 times per week
Post to Instagram 2-5 times per week
Post to YouTube 1-3 times per week
Post to TikTok 1-5 times per week

Do you know how to get your profile and posts seen by potential supporters?

Do you tailor your content to each platform and include keywords your audience might use when searching for your topic?
Are you aware of the cause awareness days that will help you participate in organic conversations with supporters?
Do you monitor trending topics and current events and join the conversation when appropriate?

Have you explored using paid advertising to target different audiences?

Depending on your budget, it may be worth exploring the ROI of paid social ads to raise awareness of your page.

Do you link to your social media profiles on your nonprofit’s website?
Have you encouraged your email subscribers to follow you on social media for more frequent updates?

Stewardship and retention

Stewardship and retention on social media means building relationships with your current supporters. By responding to comments, sharing their posts, and creating ways for them to connect, you can make them feel seen, valued, and excited to stay involved. Here are some actions to take.

Do you respond to comments on your page, as well as engage on the pages of individuals who mention or tag your organization?
Do you share photos and social media posts from supporters who tag your nonprofit?

This not only shows supporters that you appreciate their posts, but it also encourages valuable user-generated content. People trust people more than brands, so a glowing recommendation about your annual event from an attendee can go far in acquiring new supporters.
As a bonus, user-generated content helps fill out your social media calendar.

Do you create Facebook groups for your peer-to-peer fundraisers to share tips, encourage one another, and create a sense of community?

Do you create (or help facilitate) groups for peer-to-peer fundraising teams?

Are your email campaigns and social media strategies aligned?

For instance, if you share an “exclusive” announcement via email, wait to post about it on social media until after your email list receives it.

Do you create Facebook events for your fundraising and community outreach events?

If you have events on Facebook, do you follow up with people who are “interested” or “going”?

Do you share updates, reminders, and countdowns for your events?
Do you post photos from events?

Showcasing attendees acts as social proof that your cause already has loyal supporters. Additionally, attendees will be excited to see themselves in your photos, which will help drive engagement as they like and share with their networks.

Increasing engagement

Increasing engagement means giving your supporters more ways to connect with your cause. Social media makes this easy. You can thank partners, spotlight supporters, and invite people to take part in fun, meaningful activities that deepen their involvement. Here are some ideas.

Do you thank event sponsors or corporate partners on social media?

If you have a solid social media following, this can be a selling point for the next time you pitch a corporate sponsor.

Do you host virtual events like livestreams to educate the public on your cause and keep supporters updated on major events in a personal way?

For instance, consider livestreaming your annual report launch or major organizational milestones for increased visibility.

Do you share reminders on social media for supporters to check their emails and participate when you send out surveys?
Do you highlight donors, volunteers, and fundraisers who work closely with your organization?

Focusing on all the different ways someone can engage with your nonprofit reminds casual followers that there are more ways to support your cause than a donation. This also reminds donors that they can volunteer and volunteers that they can fundraise.

Do you follow up with a note encouraging people to get involved?

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Acquisition

Acquisition through SEO is about helping new supporters find your nonprofit through a Google search or another preferred search engine. By improving your website and content marketing, you can show up in more search results and attract people who care about your cause. Here are some topics to keep in mind to improve website traffic.

Does someone on your team know the SEO basics to improve your chances of showing up in search engine result pages?

If not, check out this list to get started.

Do you consistently publish high-quality content on your website, such as blog posts, guides, and news?

Is that information easily found and linked throughout your site?

Is your website optimized for local SEO?

Do you have a Google My Business page?

Do you have a streamlined user experience for donors? Is it easy for a donor to enter your website, find the donation page, and complete an online donation?
Does your nonprofit stay up to date with AI search experiences to evolve your strategies accordingly?

Bonus: Pro tips for in-person engagement

Acquisition

Acquisition is more than virtual engagement. Meeting people face-to-face can be a powerful way to grow your network. In-person events give you the chance to make real connections and introduce new supporters to your cause. Here are some questions to consider.

Are your staff members and volunteers trained to give the appropriate elevator pitch introducing potential new supporters to your organization?
Do you participate in or host thought leadership events, such as panels and conferences?
Do you ask in-person event participants to sign up to receive newsletters?
Do you have printed informational materials with your organization’s name, mission statement, website, and social media handles for your team to use when covering or attending local events?
Do you invite potential donors to visit your site or fieldwork to see the impact of your work firsthand?

Stewardship and retention

Stewardship and retention are about showing people that their support matters. In-person touches—like thank-you notes, small gifts, or events—can help donors and volunteers feel appreciated and more connected to your nonprofit’s mission. Here are some actions to implement.

Do you call or send handwritten thank-you notes to donors who make gifts over a certain amount?
Do you send birthday cards (handwritten or via email) thanking donors for supporting your nonprofit?
Do you send a welcome package to donors who join your monthly giving program?

Including branded items like stickers, T-shirts, and keychains can increase awareness and act as conversation-starters. Bonus points if your items relate to your cause (such as water bottles for a water conservation nonprofit).

Do you host events to thank your supporters and volunteers?

For instance, hold a thank-you event for peer-to-peer fundraisers and volunteers following an event or upon campaign completion.

Do you send holiday gifts to major or recurring donors?

Ideas include ornaments, calendars, magnets, candles, and notepads.

Increasing commitment

Increasing commitment means giving supporters more ways to connect with your cause. In-person events, like appreciation gatherings or behind-the-scenes tours, can help deepen their bond with your nonprofit and inspire continued support.

Do you hold appreciation events to deepen your supporters’ sense of community with your nonprofit?

Meet and greets with your team and leadership
Opportunities to tour your facility or headquarters
Intimate dinners with executive leadership for high net-worth donors
Casual gatherings for volunteers and fundraisers where they’re encouraged to bring a friend

Level up your digital marketing strategy to engage supporters

A strong digital marketing campaign is more than a nice to have—it’s essential for growing and deepening your supporter base. From acquisition to long-term stewardship, the right strategies help you build lasting relationships that power your mission.

GoFundMe Pro gives nonprofits the tools and support they need to streamline fundraising, amplify their message, and reach the right audiences online. Make sure to explore the rest of our nonprofit resources to help your marketing team stay on top of best practices and industry trends. GoFundMe Pro is here to help you elevate your digital strategy and drive meaningful impact.

Copy editor: Ayanna Julien

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